Our hometown Siem Reap is much more than the capital of the province of the same name. It is one of the major tourist hubs in the world. Almost all holiday-makers visiting Cambodia will choose to have overnight stays in Siem Reap, because everybody wants to see the Angkor Wat and Siem Reap is the essential gateway to the Angkor temples. The name of Siem Reap, meaning "Siamese defeat", is only less well-known than that of its major attraction, Angkor Wat. (This iscomparable to Agra in India, which is not as famous as its Taj Mahal.) Furthermore, Siem Reap is the gateway to the Tonle Sap, the largest and most interesting lake of Southeast Asia. By the way, Siem Reap town itself is worth a visit, because of its local Asian markets, its colonial flair, its colourful temples and its exciting nightlife.

Our office is located in the very heart of the city, halfway between the Old Market and the largest nightmarket, and this also means: only 6 kms south of the Angkor Wat.

Angkor, the capital of the medieval Khmer empire, consists of hundreds of temples in the jungles. Two dozens of them are of such impressive size and design that each of them alone would be an immense attraction for heritage study trips. The most sensational Angkor temples are the classical step-pyramids such as Pre Rup and Ta Keo crowned by five towers each, or the newly rebuilt world-record stone-puzzle Baphuon, or the mysterious face-tower-monument Bayon of Angkor Thom, or the breathtaking jungle temple Ta Prohm, or its bigger younger brother, the labyrinthic Preah Khan. This means: There is much more to see in Angkor than "only" the Angkor Wat. But Angkor Wat, of course, remains unsurpassed. This most impressive monument of Southeast Asia is the largest historical temple building in the entire world and a miracle until the present day. It is built on sandy grounds without extensive foundation, it's mere stability is an ingenious achievement. The precision of the stonecutting is another feature not yet completely explained. In contrast to European cathedrals, the construction period for the much bigger Angkor Wat was only one single generation. Last not least, Ankgor Wat is much more than a huge manmade hill of stones, it's a masterpiece of fine arts, a collection of brilliant stonecarvings, some of them of enourmous size.

The "Great Lake" Tonle Sap close to Siem Reap is the largest inland lake of Southeast Asia, famous for its abundance in fish. Close to Siem Reap you can enjoy boat trips to study the completely different styles of Vietnamese and Khmer fishermen villages, namely the boat houses of Chong Kneas and the stilt houses of Kompong Phluk respectively. You can also row through an underwater forest, covered by the lake during many months in the annual rainy season. And you can observe plenty of waterbirds protected in bird sanctuaries.

The Kingdom of Cambodia, recovering from its traumatic genocide and civil war, today is more than ever a dream destination for all lovers of ancient culture. Apart from Angkor there are many more ancient Khmer monuments worth a visit, they are distributed all over the country, many of them remote and not yet overrun, such as Sambor Prei Kuk, Prasat Bakan, Koh Ker, Preah Vihear, Banteay Chhmar, and Phnom Chiso. You will definitely be surprised and excited, though these places are less well-known than comparable monuments or archaelogical zones in other parts of the world. Koh Ker for example is as big as Chichen Itza in Mexico.

For travellers, Cambodia offers a variety of further attractions, jungle treks, waterfalls, dense rainforests, typical Asian wildlife, fascinating villages, traditional handicrafts, and tranquil beaches, as well as modern tourist infrastructure and facilities for a pleasant relaxing holiday.

Unique Asia Travels and Tours can provide ready-made as well as tailor-made solutions for your holidays in Cambodia, according to your own specifications, for example, vehicle and driver only, or accommodation in 5-star hotels or, at the other end of the spectrum, in a low budget dormitories - it's your choice. Comparing our website with others you will find out that we try to offer package arrangements including secluded places as well. The dimensions of these unknown temples are less spectacular, and sometimes reaching might turn out to be arduous. But more than Cambodia's most frequented places, these tranquil gems of ancient architecture can fulfill dreams of exploring a forgotten empire in the jungles. So have a look.

For those guests more interested in studying the ancient Khmer civilization than usual, we worked out 2 special concepts:

1. We offer visits to temples off the beaten path, never visited by busloads and even unknown to most private travellers and thus arousing a genuine "lost temple in the jungle" feeling.

Our Specials:

- Forgotten temples off the beaten track- Temple visits in chronological historical order

Unique Asia Travel and Tours

is an independent travel agency and tour operator registered in Cambodia, based in Siem Reap near Angkor. We are not part of an international holding, we help to develop local tourist business. Our company is run by locals and 100% owned by Cambodians. For details, please check our page Our company